Brassiere cup with rhinestones detailing and related method of manufacture

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing a breast cup for a brassiere by taking a sheet of moldable material and adhering a plurality of pellets against a major surface of the sheet of moldable material. A molding to a breast cup form of the sheet of moldable material occurs prior, during or subsequent to the application of pellets in a manner such that the pellets are or becomes located in a desired location on the convex side major surface of the then molded sheet of molded material.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a brassier or brassiere cup which incorporates rhinestones detailing to enhance the visual appearance of the exterior of the cup.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Decorative aspects of a brassiere (bra) are important to women. Whilst bras have traditionally been used purely as undergarments, some people prefer that any parts of a bra which are visible to another person, are of an appearance which is attractive in nature. In addition, whilst some parts of a bra may not be visible to another person, a person will place some emphasis on the visual appeal that a bra has during a purchasing decision.

[0003] Incorporating lace to provide a visually appealing affect to a bra is common. However the provision of lace requires for such to be sewn onto a cup or alternatively be embroidered therewith.

[0004] With the advent of bras which are made in a molding process, the object of the manufacturing of such bras is to reduce the cost of manufacturing. Molded bras may be manufactured from one or multiple overlying plies of moldable material. The addition of embroidery can be time consuming. Likewise the stitching of lace onto a cup of a molded bra will add to the cost of the bra. It has hence been desirable to manufacture a bra which includes visually enhancing features which can be provided at a reduced cost.

[0005] Accordingly it is an object of the present invention to provide a bra or bra cup which incorporates rhinestones detailing and a related method of manufacturing such which will at least provide the public with a useful choice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Accordingly the present invention consist in a method of manufacturing a breast cup for a brassiere comprising

[0007] a. taking a sheet of moldable material

[0008] b. adhering to part of one of the major surfaces of said sheet of moldable material an adhesive film which carries therewith a plurality of pellets adhered to said adhesive film in a predefined pattern in a manner such that said pellets are placed against said major surface of said sheet of moldable material,

[0009] c. pressing said pellets against said sheet of moldable material to adhere said pellets to that major surface of said sheet of moldable material in said predefined pattern

[0010] d. removing said adhesive film from said sheet of moldable material leaving said pellets affixed to said major surface

[0011] wherein a molding to a breast cup form of said sheet of moldable material occurs prior to step (b) or subsequent to step (d) in a manner such that said predefined pattern of pellets is or becomes located in a desired location on the convex side major surface of said then molded sheet of molded material.

[0012] Preferably during said pressing of pellets to said sheet of moldable material heat is also applied so that said pellets become heat welded to said sheet of moldable material.

[0013] Preferably said applying of heat and pressure is by means of two heated pressure plates between which at least that region of said sheet of moldable material where said pellets are positioned is interposed.

[0014] Preferably said applying of heat and pressure is by means of two heated pressure plates between which the entire said sheet of moldable material is interposed.

[0015] Preferably the location on said major surface where said adhesive film is to be positioned for said adhering thereof to said major surface is indicated by a jig.

[0016] Preferably said pellets are dome shaped and are carried by said adhesive film such that the apex of each said dome shaped pellet is located against said adhesive film and the base of said dome becomes located against said major surface of said moldable material.

[0017] Preferably after said molded material has been formed into a cup form, it is trimming of excess material to define a breast cup.

[0018] In a second aspect the present invention consists in a method of manufacturing a breast cup for a brassiere comprising

[0019] a. taking a sheet of moldable material

[0020] b. adhering a plurality of pellets against a major surface of said sheet of moldable material

[0021] wherein a molding to a breast cup form of said sheet of moldable material occurs prior, during or subsequent to step (b) in a manner such that said pellets are or becomes located in a desired location on the convex side major surface of said then molded sheet of molded material.

[0022] Preferably said adhering is by means of heat welding.

[0023] In a further aspect the present invention consists in or for a brassiere, a breast cup of a molded material which incorporates at a region of the convex side surface thereof a plurality of pellets which are permanently adhered to said surface.

[0024] Preferably said pellets are adhered to said surface by heat welding.

[0025] Preferably said pellets are rhinestones.

[0026] Preferably said pellets are positioned on said surface to define a pattern or discernable shape.

[0027] Preferably said pellets are provided at an upper region of said breast cup.

[0028] In a further aspect the present invention consists in a breast cup which is made according to the method as herein before described.

[0029] In a further aspect the present invention consists in a brassiere which incorporates two breast cups made according to the method as herein before defined.

[0030] This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth. For the purposes of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred. It is being understood however that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements shown.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031]FIG. 1 illustrates a plan view of a breast cup which incorporates rhinestone detailing,

[0032]FIG. 2 illustrates two mirror image breast cups having been formed from a sheet of moldable material and wherein the rhinestone detailing is provided,

[0033]FIG. 3 illustrates a transfer sheet of film material onto which the pellets for the rhinestone detailing are provided,

[0034]FIG. 4 is a sectional view through part of the transfer sheet of FIG. 3 and shown in an exploded format to illustrate the nature of the transfer sheet assembly,

[0035]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the transfer sheet and wherein one of the layers of film material is partially peeled away for the purposes of allowing the transferring of pellets to the sheet of moldable material,

[0036]FIG. 6 is a side view of a sheet of moldable material and illustrating/the positioning of a transfer sheet prior to being engaged to the sheet of moldable material,

[0037]FIG. 7 is a plan view of a jig which can be utilized for assisting the placement of the transfer sheet retaining the pellets in order to ensure that the transfer sheet(s) is positioned in the appropriate location on the moldable sheet of material,

[0038]FIG. 8 is a sectional view through a device for the purposes of welding the pellets to the sheet of moldable material, and

[0039]FIG. 9 illustrates the pellets engaged to the sheet of moldable material and wherein the film of the transfer sheet is peeled away to leave only the pellets which have been transferred against the sheet of moldable material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0040] With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a breast cup 1 to be incorporated with other components to define a brassiere (bra). The breast cup 1 is of a molded kind and preferably made from suitable material assembled or defined to have no seams. The material from which the breast cup 1 is molded may consist of a single ply of material or may alternatively be a multi ply assembly. A sheet of material from which the breast cup 1 is to be defined is preferably a moldable material and comes in the form of a planar sheet. Where the moldable sheet material is a of a multi ply assembly, preprocessing to define the assembly may include the laminating of the plies together by the use of heat lamination and/or adhesive lamination. A multi ply assembly may for example consist of a foam core which is interposed between two exterior plies of a fabric material.

[0041] The material selected for such a multi ply assembly or for a single ply sheet is of a kind which when subjected to heat and pressure can be formed so that a cup shape can be molded into the sheet and be retained by the sheet.

[0042] By way of example, FIG. 2 illustrates a sheet of such moldable material 9 into which two breast cup forms 1 have been molded by male and female molding portions of a molding device (not shown) which will apply pressure to the sheet and with the appropriate molding relief features will create three dimensional cup features in the sheet of an appropriate size.

[0043] In the most preferred form, prior to the sheet of moldable material being subjected to the cup molding process, pellets are applied to one of the major surfaces 2 of the moldable sheet material 9. Such pellets once the process has been completed will define a rhinestone detailing region 3 on the convex side major surface 2 of the cup 1. In an alternative form but less preferred form, the pellets may be applied to the cups after the cups have been formed.

[0044] A plurality of pellets 5 are utilized to form a predefined pattern according to the rhinestone detailing that is desired on the surface of the breast cup.

[0045] The most preferred method in which the pellets are transferred to the sheet of moldable material will now be described.

[0046] Each pellet 5 which will form part of the rhinestone detailing is engaged to a transfer assembly 4. The pellets 5 are placed onto the first film 6 of the transfer assembly 4 in appropriate locations to define the desired pattern as for example shown in FIG. 3. The first film 6 of the transfer assembly 4 is an adhesive film and pellets 5 will adhere to the surface 7 of the first film 6 of the transfer assembly.

[0047] In the most preferred form a second film 8 is provided as part of the transfer assembly 4. The second film 8 overlies the first film 6 on the side 7 of the first film 6 so that the pellets 5 are interposed between the first and second films 6, 8. The adhesive nature between the films 6 and 8 is such that the film 8 can be peeled away from the film 6 and from the pellets 5. The film 8 provides a cover or backing sheet to the adhesive side 7 of the film 6 and overlies the pellets 5 so that the transfer assembly 4 can be conveniently handled. Without the provision of the second film 8, the pellets 5 may become dislodged and/or the adhesive nature of the first film 6 may be adversely effected by dust or the like.

[0048] The transfer assembly 4 is able to position the pellets onto the major surface 2 of the moldable sheet material by firstly having the second film 8 peeled away therefrom. With reference to FIG. 5, it can be seen that the second film 8 is partially peeled away from the first film 6 to thereby expose the pellets 5. The sheet of moldable material 9 is then able to receive the pellets 5 onto its first major surface 2. The pellets 5 since they remain retained to the first film 6 will be maintained in the locations as originally defined and thereby allow for the pattern of pellets to be transferred to the surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material 9.

[0049] The adhesive characteristics of the first film 6 of the transfer assembly 4 will also ensure that the first film 6 is adhered to the first major surface 2 of the moldable sheet of material 9.

[0050] The sheet of moldable material 9 with the transfer assembly engaged thereto can then be transferred to a pellet welding device 10. The pellet welding device 10 preferably consists of two pressure plates 11, 12. The pressure plates 11, 12 are of a size so that they can provide pressure to at least the region of the sheet of moldable material where the pellets are provided. As shown for example in FIG. 8, the pressure plates are of a size to be at least coextensive and preferably larger than the overall size of the sheet of moldable material 9. In this manner the entire sheet of moldable material is subjected to substantially the same pressure and same temperature during the step of the process which welds the pellets to the first major surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material. This is more preferred as it then creates a uniform change of the characteristics of the entire sheet so that when the sheet is subsequently molded to define the breast cup shapes, the resulting nature of the cups is substantially uniform.

[0051] During the transfer step the device 10 will apply a pressure to the sheet of moldable material. The sheet of moldable material is placed between the first and second portions 11, 12 in a substantially planar condition and the plates are then brought together. With an appropriate pressure and dwell time and by a heating of the portions 11 and 12, the pellets 5 will weld and hence adhere to the first major surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material 9.

[0052] Once the transfer and hence welding of the pellets to the first major surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material 9 has occurred, the first film 6 can be peeled away thereby leaving the pellets 5 in an exposed condition at the first major surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material.

[0053] As an example, the sheet of moldable material may consist of a core layer of urethane foam of a thickness of approximately 1 mm to 5 mm. The plies of material which are provided to define the first and second major surfaces of the sheet of moldable material may be of a fabric material such as for example polyester based cotton, lycra, spandex or nylon. Where the material is a polyester based cotton, the transfer step preferably applies a pressure to the sheet of moldable material at a temperature of approximately 130° C. and for a period of approximately 30 seconds. This has been found to be sufficient to ensure the pellets are welded to the first major surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material. This also ensures that the pellets do not become over welded to the first sheet so that their visual appearance may be effected.

[0054] Subsequent to the transfer of the pellets to the sheet of moldable material, the sheet of moldable material is transferred to a molding machine in order to have the cup forms molded therein.

[0055] If it is desirable for the rhinestone detailing to be provided in repeatable locations so that a plurality of bras can be manufactured which are identical in appearance, it will be necessary to incorporate a register step.

[0056] During the breast cup molding stage, the sheet of moldable material will be placed into a molding machine which will apply molding pressure by way of two mold portions having appropriately defined surface reliefs so that the three dimensional cup form can be molded. Pressure, temperature and the appropriate dwell will ensure that when the two mold portions are released, the three dimensional cup form is maintained. The sheet of moldable material 9 will be placed so as to register with the molding device in an appropriate location. In order to ensure that the rhinestone detailing which has been provided onto a major surface of the then flat sheet of moldable foam material 9 is positioned in the appropriate location such that when a molding of the sheet material occurs, they are positioned at the appropriate and desirable location of the cup form, a jig 14 may be utilized.

[0057] The jig 14 preferably consists of a sheet of rigid or semi rigid material. The jig 14 can be placed onto the sheet of moldable material 9 in a manner so that it registers therewith. The sheet of moldable material may include register points corresponding to register points of the jig 14 which are to be aligned therewith. Register may for example be achieved by having a jig 14 of a perimeter which is identical to the perimeter of the sheet of moldable material 9. The jig 14 can then be placed onto the sheet of moldable material 9 in a coextensive manner. The jig 14 incorporates further register points 15 which define where each transfer assembly 4 needs to be placed. The further registry points 15 may for example be apertures through the jig 14 which allows for the transfer assembly 4 to be placed therethrough and straight onto the surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material 9. Alternatively the first film 6 of the transfer assembly may be tacked to a surface of the jig 14 at locations defined by the other registry points 15 and then positioned against the major surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material 9, thereafter be released from the jig once the film 6 becomes adhered to the first major surface 2. The transfer containing the pellets 5 is or are then placed in the appropriate locations on the sheet of moldable material. As a result they will then be positioned in the appropriate locations of the sheet of moldable material when the breast cup is molded.

[0058] In a less preferred form of transferring the pellets, the cup form is first produced after which the pellets are adhered thereto. Such subsequent transfer may utilize the same mold for molding the cups forms and again utilize the transfer assembly for holding the pellets in the appropriate locations. As the transfer assembly is most conveniently produces in a planar form, once it is placed on the curved bra, its is more difficult to control during the transferring step and hence this mode is less preferred.

[0059] The second film or backing sheet 8 of the transfer assembly is preferably a white or light colour backing sheet and the first film or transfer film 6 of the transfer assembly is preferably transparent. The use of a transparent film for the first or transfer film 6 will ensure a visual inspection can be made of the transfer on the moldable sheet of material assembly prior to the pellets being welded to the first major surface 2. This will allow for an operator to make a final observation as to whether any of the pellets are missing and reject any non-compliant transfer assembly.

[0060] As can be seen with reference to FIG. 4 the pellets 5 are preferably of a dome shape. The base 18 of the dome shaped pellets is preferably substantially planar and it is this surface 18 which becomes adhered against the first major surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material 9. The apex regions 19 of the dome shaped pellets are adhered to the transfer film 6 of the transfer assembly 4. The pellets are preferably at least partly made of plastic and indeed the base portion 18 is of plastic so that a plastic bonding by welding of the pellets can be achieved with the plastics material of the first major surface 2 of the sheet of moldable material 9.

[0061] It will be appreciated that alternative shapes for the pellets 5 can be utilized to achieve the same effect.

[0062] It is also to be appreciated that whilst it is a welding between the material of the cup and the pellets which is the most preferred means of attachment, alternative methods may utilize an adhesive for example to achieve adequate adhesion of the pellets to the cup. A dipping of the bases of the pellets into an adhesive prior to being transferred to the cup may achieve such ends. Heat welding has however been found by the inventor to be the most convenient method.

[0063] The first major surface 2 of the moldable sheet material is that surface which ends up providing the convex to the breast cup. The rhinestone detail is preferably provided towards the upper region of the breast cup shape so that this can be visible or at times be visible while the bra incorporating the breast cups of the present invention is being worn.

[0064] The hot fix transfer techniques which will be known to persons skilled in the art can be utilised in the application of pellets for the present invention. Hot fix transfer technology such as that which may utilise an iron to transfer pellets onto a material is a technique which is well known. Heat sensitive glue can be utilised which upon heating will melt and become adhered to both the pellets and the fabric. Such glue is a glue which dries to a flexible state so that the garment to which the pellets are adhered, can be washed without pellets falling off.

[0065] Reference is hereby made to the patent specification under U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,743 which discloses a method of manufacturing a transfer assembly, such method being an option which can be employed for the provision of the transfer assembly of the present invention. The entire content of the patent specification of U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,743 is by way of reference hereby incorporated.

[0066] Reference is also made to the patent specification of U.S. Pat. No. 6,482,285 which describes details of material selection for creating a transfer which takes into consideration the material stability under heat and pressure and which will still provide a sufficiently useful release characteristic to allow for the supporting film to be peeled away from the fabric material. Alternative 2 

1. A method of manufacturing a breast cup for a brassiere comprising a. taking a sheet of moldable material b. adhering to part of one of the major surfaces of said sheet of moldable material an adhesive film which carries therewith a plurality of pellets adhered to said adhesive film in a predefined pattern in a manner such that said pellets are placed against said major surface of said sheet of moldable material, c. pressing said pellets against said sheet of moldable material to adhere said pellets to that major surface of said sheet of moldable material in said predefined pattern d. removing said adhesive film from said sheet of moldable material leaving said pellets affixed to said major surface wherein a molding to a breast cup form of said sheet of moldable material occurs prior to step (b) or subsequent to step (d) in a manner such that said predefined pattern of pellets is or becomes located in a desired location on the convex side major surface of said then molded sheet of molded material.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein during said pressing of pellets to said sheet of moldable material heat is also applied so that said pellets become heat welded to said sheet of moldable material.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said applying of heat and pressure is by means of two heated pressure plates between which at least that region of said sheet of moldable material where said pellets are positioned is interposed. 4 A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said applying of heat and pressure is by means of two heated pressure plates between which the entire said sheet of moldable material is interposed.
 5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the location on said major surface where said adhesive film is to be positioned for said adhering thereof to said major surface is indicated by a jig.
 6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said pellets are dome shaped and are carried by said adhesive film such that the apex of each said dome shaped pellet is located against said adhesive film and the base of said dome becomes located against said major surface of said moldable material.
 7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein after said molded material has been formed into a cup form, it is trimming of excess material to define discrete a breast cup.
 8. A method of manufacturing a breast cup for a brassiere comprising a. taking a sheet of moldable material b. adhering a plurality of pellets against a major surface of said sheet of moldable material wherein a molding to a breast cup form of said sheet of moldable material occurs prior, during or subsequent to step (b) in a manner such that said pellets are or becomes located in a desired location on the convex side major surface of said then molded sheet of molded material.
 9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein said adhering is by means of heat welding.
 10. A breast cup which is made according to the method of claim
 1. 11. A brassiere which incorporates two breast cups made according to the method of claim
 1. 12. In or for a brassiere, a breast cup of a molded material which incorporates at a region of the convex side surface thereof a plurality of pellets which are permanently adhered to said surface.
 13. A breast cup as claimed in claim 12 wherein said pellets are adhered to said surface by heat welding.
 14. A breast cup as claimed in claim 12 wherein said pellets are rhinestones.
 15. A breast cup as claimed in claim 12 wherein said pellets are positioned on said surface to define a pattern or discernable shape.
 16. A breast cup as claimed in claim 12 wherein said pellets are provided at an upper region of said breast cup. 